XXII. The _Scorpion_ is one of the Inhabitants of the World in Miniature; though a little Insect, yet is reckoned to be one of the chiefest among stinging Animals, whose Poison in different Regions is less or more dangerous, as it is exalted by various Degrees of Heat. It has eight Legs, and two large Claws, resembling those of a Lobster, and a Body like a Crab or Craw-fish: They are of various Colours, as red, white, yellow, black: They differ also in their Size and Kinds, as the marine, terrestrial, reptile, winged, hurtful and innocent. Some are of the Bigness and Length of a Man’s Finger, not much longer than a _Beetle_ or a black Fly: Those known to us are of a brown Colour, the Back composed of Joints resembling those of a Crab, but more crustaceous. Authors differ about the Tail, whether it be knotty or not; but all agree, that it is furnished with a terrible Sting, worse than the knotted Whip. Many Places produce _Scorpions_ of the minute Sort, not much exceeding the Length of a large Bean. Others are more bulky, as those at _Jerusalem_, and all about _Syria_, not unlike our little fluvial Crabs for Bigness, which they call _Gambari_. In the _East-Indies_ are large Scorpions of the winged Kind; so in _Egypt_, where it is reported they are armed with two Stings[186]. Footnote 186: _Conradus Gesner in Verbum_, p. 4. It is observable, these large Scorpions taking their Flight against the Wind, sometimes drop down, and so are taken by the Country People, and perhaps sent to scorpionize other Kingdoms. The _Sea-scorpion_ is a flying Animal, and of a red Colour, whose Flesh is good, and much better than what they call _Scorpœna_, that affects muddy Water and moorish Habitations. There is a vast Spread of these venemous Animals over the World, both of the winged and creeping Kind, in the Eastern and Southern Climates. Some of them move with Tails somewhat erected, others trailing on the ground; and are thought to be more dangerous than the former: The Coal-black Scorpion is accounted the most hurtful; ’tis said, that in many Places in _Persia_, the Inhabitants dare not sleep in Ground-rooms, for fear of these little plaguy Creatures, the most terrible of all Night-walkers: Of which more elsewhere. A certain Historian informs us of stimulating Scorpions that infest _Cashan_ in _Parthia_: They are of small Size, not strong in Body, but very terrible in their Wounds, there being the greatest Malignity in their Stings; upon which is grafted this proverbial Curse in that Nation, _May a Scorpion of_ Cashan _sting thee_[187]: But _Chardin_, _Tavernier_, and others, place _Cashan_ in _Persia_, “where they are very much infested with Scorpions at all Seasons, but especially when the Sun is in that Sign, which is one of the twelve Signs in the _Zodiack_; so that ’tis become, says another Historian, a Curse, _May the Scorpions of_ Cashan _sting thy Gulls_.”